The First Time He Saw Her
by Sophiethepegasus
Summary: He saw her when he followed her to Cosette's home with Marius, and he saw the tragedy that was her father. He saw her when he felt that fear when she fainted in the middle of the street. He felt that hatred at Pontmercy's blindness. And his confusion sparked something brilliant.


"I'm in love!" exclaimed Marius. Enjolras' blue eyes weren't watching as he spoke.

"We have a revolution, Marius. If you are determined to place your heart with a person you haven't even spoken to, I think you're not needed here." Grantaire hobbled over to Enjolras.

"And when was the last time you were in love, Enj?"

"Patria is my love." The café' sounded with laughter. There was the creaking of stairs. Marius started walking towards them. Enjolras turned and saw a girl standing there, her clothes torn. Shadows crowded her bony face and her collarbone was pronounced. He started to edge towards Marius.

"Eponine, what's wrong?" Eponine. The name was familiar. Then Enjolras remembered that she had been at a few of the rallies. Eponine Thenardier…

Eponine smiled but there was bitterness tainting her features. "Nothing's wrong, Monsieur Marius. I've found Cosette's place." Her smile faltered and her eyes flashed with pain and envy.

All of a sudden, Enjolras felt hatred towards Marius but he quenched it. Who knew who Cosette was?

"Oh Eponine, I knew I could count on you." Marius leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Eponine pulled away, a spark of fear in her dark eyes. Eponine gestured for him to follow and Marius started to walk after her. Enjolras mentioned something to Combeferre and started to trail after Marius. He stayed in the shadows. He felt strange. He never felt inclined to follow people before.

Enjolras soon found himself hidden behind a wall. Marius stepped forwards to a door. He rattled the gate slightly. A fair-haired girl stepped towards the door. He heard a bit of the conversation. Marius took something out of his pocket and pushed it through the gate. The girl's eyes looked at him with love. So this was Cosette.

Then Eponine stood forward, her small figure looking even more hungry in the poor light. Marius introduced Cosette and Eponine. But in Cosette's eyes there was recognition and fear intermingled in one. After a while Cosette left the scene. Then Marius started to edge towards Enjolras' hiding place.

A man walked into the alley followed by a few others. He muttered something to them and Eponine turned and her eyes were fearful, like a deer confronted by a gun. "Who is this hussy?" the man asked.

"It's your brat, Eponine, don't you know your own? Why's she here?" So, it was Eponine's father.

"Go away, Eponine, you're not needed here," he muttered between gritted teeth.

Eponine's fear left her face.

"We're taking Cosette back, Eponine. The stranger stole her from us, remember?" Eponine took a step closer to the gate. She faced the man, who Enjolras now guessed was Mr Thenardier. Her eyes looked strong.

"You will not touch this gate, and if you do, I'll scream. You will not touch Cosette." Enjolras felt himself admiring her, so strong and fearless. And selfless. She was _protecting _Cosette, who Marius loved.

Enjolras felt that hate rise up inside of him again.

"Don't you dare," Mr Thenardier said. He stepped closer. And then Eponine screamed, a loud noise that somehow seemed musical. The scream scattered the men and they started to run out of the alley. But Mr Thenardier lingered. "You wait my girl, you'll rue this night, I'll make you scream all year." And then he ran. Marius was gone, Enjolras noticed.

Eponine started to walk after her father, but she surely didn't intend to follow him. Enjolras started to follow her. Eponine was walking through the streets, her dejected shape smaller than ever. And then she sunk to her knees and collapsed against the stones. It was raining. And Enjolras hadn't even felt it. Enjolras ran towards her. For one awful moment, he thought she had died. It wouldn't be unexpected if she did. Enjolras ran towards the girl and crouched. He pressed his fingers against her wrist. It was there. Barely, but there. Enjolras felt a rush of relief. Eponine had fainted. Enjolras couldn't leave her there, broken and sick. Then she would die. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned down and picked her up. Her head rolled slightly but he supported it in the crook of his arm. Enjolras started on his journey back to his home.

In his room there was only one bed. There was a bookshelf for the revolution. He also had a fireplace that lit the carpet in a golden glow. There was only a couch left. It was rough and slightly uncomfortable. After a second of consideration, Enjolras laid her atop the bed. Her eyes started to flicker and opened. Shock seemed to course through her body.

"I never thought heaven looked like this." Her words were bitter. She raised her head slightly and looked down at her body. She raised her skirt and a deep blue bruise revealed itself. "People always say you heal when you go to heaven. This isn't much better than Paris." She turned her head and saw Enjolras. "Enjolras!"

"Hello."

"Are you going to kill me?" Eponine's words held no hint of anger or fear or anything except coldness.

"No. If I was going to let you die I would've left you in the rain." Eponine stood up suddenly, and her body swayed.

"How dare you do that," she spat, "How dare you not let me die."

Enjolras felt red-hot anger. And shock. She _wanted _to die.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

Eponine fell to her knees against the wooden floor and tears started snaking out of her eyes. A sob shook her body, but she made no sound. And that sort of crying, silently dying. It was the worst thing that Enjolras had ever witnessed.

Enjolras walked closer and Eponine retracted. "I'm guessing you followed Pontmercy. Which means you saw my father. Why the hell wouldn't I want to die?"

And Eponine curled her body so that her head was buried in the folds of her dress. Enjolras reached forward and gently grabbed her arm. Eponine squeaked slightly, and she looked upwards. The tear-stained doll didn't look at all like the girl who had protected the lover of the one she loved.

"Don't touch me," she snarled.

"What's wrong?" Enjolras asked. "Tell me. It'll make you feel better." Eponine sniffled.

"What do I have to lose?" she tried to chuckle, but she coughed instead. She talked about how she lived in Montfermeil in an inn, until she was seven, stealing things. "And then Cosette was taken by the Man in Yellow. She was our servant, dressed in rags. Her mother gave her to us. She was probably illegitimate. Her mother struggled to pay for her. She became a prostitute from the information we gathered. And then she died. Two years later a man came, and he knew her mother and he took her away. Then someone caught us stealing and we ran away to the streets of Paris."

Eponine shrugged. "It's your turn."

Enjolras had a regularly boring life, or so he thought. His parents had been republicans, his father had fought in Waterloo, his grandfather in the Second Revolution, and Enjolras intended to keep that in his bloodline, if he ever had one. That was it, he explained, and he had lived in that part of Paris his entire life.

"You say your life isn't interesting," Eponine's face turned into a light smile. Then she got to her feet, bent over and pressed her lips to Enjolras' forehead. At the confusion of Enjolras, she laughed. "Leave a place for me at the next meeting." And she walked out the door, leaving Enjolras staring after, that smile branded into his mind.


End file.
